Glass-feeding mechanism



Nov. 20, 1928.

R. LA FRANCE GLASS FEEDING MECHANISM Filed Sept. 23, 1921 3 SheetsSheetECH/IEDZ/IFPAA/GE Nov. 20, 1928. 1,692553 R. LA FRANCE.

G-LASS FEEDING MECHANISM Filed Sept. 25, 1.921 s Sheets-Sheet R. LAFRANCE GLASS FEEDING MECHANISM Nov. 2 0, 1928. 1,692,553

Filed Sept. 23, 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 I IINVEINTOR "50' all Patented Nv. 20 1928.

1.592.553 UNITEDTSTATESTPATEIN'T. orrlcsi monaan LA manner, or roitnno,onro, assmrron TO THE owmvs 30mm 001mm,;

1 or TOLEDO, 01110, a coaroaarrou or one.

GLASS-FEEDING MECKANISI H.

Application/filed September 23, 1921. Serial No. 502,784.

My invention relates to apparatus for producing individual charges ofmolten glass for molds of glass forming machines. An object of theinvention is to provide apparatus of this character adapted to delivercharges of difierent sizes alternately, periodically or ina.predetermined sequence. Automatic glass feeders in use at the present.day are designed todeliver charges all as nearly as possible of the samesize, except when the apparatus is adjusted manually to vary the size. aIt is often desirable to make articles of different sizes on one machineby molds. of difierent sizes on the machine at the same time. Thisrequires the size of the charges or gobs of glass delivered to the moldsto be periodically varied to correspond to the sizes of the molds. It isalso customary in the art to use a single feeder for deliveringcontrolling the supply of air to the'ilnotor 0 charges successively tothe molds of several machines, and it is sometimes desirable to makedifl'erent sized ware on the several machines, requirin largergobs'tobe' delivered to one machine t an to another. The present 26invention. is designed to meetthe above requirements by providingsuitable means to automatically supply charges of glass, and

periodicall vary the size of the charges to correspon with the varyingsizes of moldssupplied thereby.

The specific form'of my invention herein disclosed, is in connectionwith a type of feeder in which there is provideda container for themolten glass having an outlet opening in the bottom thereof and areciprocating plug or plunger above the outlet. The

- plunger as it moves downward exerts an expelling force on the glassand when it moves upward, retards the flow. The upward movement of theplunger is limited by a series of stops which are successively broughtinto o 'icrative position, each stop being separatelyadjustahle todetermine the upward limit of movement of the plunger. The volume of thecharge of glass expelled during the dcscent of-the plunger depends onthe height to which the plunger has been lifted, so that the size of thecharges may be varied in any order and to any extent desired byindividuadjusting t e stops; I

her'features of the invention will appear hereinafter. In theaccompanying drawings:

-' Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of an apparatus constructed inaccordance with the principles of my invention.

Figure 2 is a front-elevation thereof parts being omitted.

Figure 3 1s a part sectional side elevation of a trough switch .fordelivering gobs ,succcss vely to a series of stationary troughs.

F gurei s an end elevation-of the same. Figure 5 IS a top plan view oftheapp'aratus. v v

Fi re 6 shows a Geneva: movement for rotating the stops.

Figure 7 is a plan view ofthe, mechanism the below the furnace boot forconveying I macharges to the molds on a number o chines. 1

Figure 8 is a detail of valve controlling the operation of the shears.,I

Figure 9 is a sectional view of thivalve which operates the plu er. p VFigure 10 is a partsectional elevation show.- ingan arrangement of artsthe I 1 gobs to drop directly into t e forming machine. Figurell is adiagramrfllg tie plan showing such arrangement. The molten glass issupplied .fronr'a furnace boot or extension 10 havin" an outlet ori-'fiee 11 in the bottom thereof t iroii' gh which the glass issues. Theflow of glass is controlled by a verticallyrciprocati plunger 12 carriedby a' rod 13 attac ed to the piston of an air motor 14'. This motoroperates to move the plunger up and down periodically atregularintervals'l The downward movement of the plunger exerts anexpellin force on the issuing glass, and the upwar plug or movemcnt ofthe plunger retards or reverses I :the movement of glass atthe outlet.The

plunger also .acts as a valve and restricts the flow when in its lowered'tiorn- The motor is controlle by. a valve 15 Fig. 9) actuated by a cam16 on a. continuously rotating horizontal shaft 17. With the .e 4

valve in the Figure 9 position, air under pres sure is supplied through'the pressure pipe-18 and valve to a pipe 19 leading to the upper endsupplied to the motor through the pipes 18' and 20, and the pi 19 isconnected to the o!- The power.

being driven from any suitable source of The n Y ward movement oftheplunger is limited y stops which are successively brought intooperative position above a stop 26 mounted on the rod 13. -The stop 26is adjustable up and down on the rod 13 by means of a hand wheel orcollar 27 screw threaded on the rod The ried by a disk 28 and areindividually adjustable 'up and down therein. The disk 28 is keyed to' avertical shaft 29 to which is'also keyed'a Geneva wheelBO. The latter isgiven a step by step rotation-by means of a continuously rotatingdriving element 32 having a pin 33 to engage slots 34in the driver 32 ismounted on a vertical shaft 35 on which is a bevel pinion 36- driven bya bevel gear 37 on the shaft 17. v

The cutting mechanism for severing the in dividual masses or gobs ofglass may be qf an usual or approved construction and as herein shown,comprises a pair of cutters 38 actuated by mechanism such as shown inthe co-pendin application-of A. N. Cramer, Serial. Num er 401,638, filedAugust 6, .1920. The cutter-s38 are actuated by an air. motor 39 havingair connections 41 and 42x0 a controlling valve 43 (see Fig. 8) actuatedby a cam 44 on the drive shaft .24. The cam 44 operates through aT-lever 45 open the poppet valves 46 and 47, thereby pc-' riodicallyreversing the air connections to the shear operating motor 39 in a wellknown manner and erate periodically. r-

It will be notedthat the cam 44 controlling the operation of theslfearsis so shape that each complete-rotation of the drive shaft 24 willeffect three shearing operations. lso, the cam 16 which rotates atthe-same peripheral speedas the-drive shaft will eii'ect threereciprocations of the plungerduring a rotation of the drive shaft. Thegearing for advancing the stops 25 is so proportioned that the'disk 28will'be advanced one step after each reciprocation of the plunger, sothat each succeeding operation of the plunger-is con-' trolled by adifierent stop.

The charges of glass may be suspended from the walls of the orifice 11during their formation, and when severed by the shears 38drop ontoa'deflector 48 and slide down a swinging trough section '49 andstationary troughs to molds on machines A, B. and These machines carryrespectively molds'a, b andc, which as-shown are of different sizes. Theparts 48 and 49 are carried on an oscillating funnel-shaped member 52 towhich is attached an arm 53 connected through a link 54' to a lever 55fulcrumed at 56 and carrying a cam roll 57 running on a cam 58 on thedrive shaft 24. The cam 58 is shaped to impart in-.

stops 25 are car-.

wheel 30. The I required size.

. chines A, .B and G to alternately thus causing the shears 38 tooptermittent movements to the lever 55,, the extent of the movementsbeing such that thc trough section 49 is caused to register sncces-'sively with the stationary troughs 59, 60 nd 61, so that the successivegobs of glass aredelivercd to molds a,

flector 48 is mounted to zontalrfulcrum pin 63- carried by brackets 64on the funnel 52. The deflector is held in register with the section 49by a 65. By withdrawing the detent the deflector may be swun down,permitting the glass to escape throng rthefun'nel 52. \Vhen the molds onthe several machines are of different sizes, as indicated in Figure 7,the stops'25 will be correspondingly adjusted so that each mold willreceive a charge of the Thestops whichlimit the upward movements of theplunger directly receding the downward strokes which exp the obsdelivered to. the molds ed to permit a comparatively. short plungerstroke. The other stops will be adjusted for the. charge required. Ifdesired, the indib and c m succession in a manner well understood in theart. The deswmg abouta hOIlspring detent a, will be adjustvidualmolds onany one of the several mamay be of diiierent sizes. For example, everyother moldon the machine A might be larger than the. intermediate molds.

Referring to Figures 10'and 11, the feeder may deliver the gobs'directlyto the molds of a forming machine 70, the molds ('1 thereonbeingsuccessively brought tocharging position directly beneath theoutlet-ll by the rotation of the mold carriage. As'indicated in Figure11, the mold cavities are of'diiierent sizes. The number of molds, asshown is' the same as the number of stops 25 on the disk28,

so that in the operation each stop controlsthe plunger operation forfeeding to one particular mold. Similar resultscould obviously beobtained by having a different relative num-. ber of stops and molds.For example, the number of molds might be double that of the stops sothat each stop would control the same two molds throughout the operationof the machine.

It will be charges of glass may understood be automatically varied thatthe size at the by various means other than those herein shown forarresting the plunger at different heights and also in other ways thanby vary ing the upward limit of movement of the plunger. 'For example,the plungermight ward movement. The .speed of the plunger during itsupward or downward or both. might be varied. The time at which thecutter operates relative to the plunger operation might be varied. Thelength of time between successive operations of both the plunger andcutter might be varied periodically. The plan in which the cutteropermovement,

C. be arrested at different positions in 1ts downates might be shiftedup and down'periodically. The size of-the outlet orifice might beperiodically'varied. A periodic variation in the size and shape'ofcharges of glass might be produced in any of the above mentioned ways'Modifications other than those herein mentioned may be resorted towithin the spirit and scope of my invention.

\Vhat I claim is: v

1. The combination of a stationary container for molten glass having adischarge orifice, a plunger-controlling the flow of glass throughsaid'orifice, means to reciprocate the plunger, and automatic devicesseparate from said means and operating in succession to vary successivereciprocations of the plunger.

2. The combination of a stationary container for molten glass having adischarge orifice, a plunger controlling the flow of glass through saidorifice, means to reciprocate the plunger and cause a measured volume ofglass to be discharged for each reciprocation of the plunger,'andautomatic devices separate from saidmeans to selectively vary therec1procations of the plunger and thereby selectively vary said volumesof glass.

3. The combination of a container for molten glass having an outletorifice, a valve controlling the discharge of glass from said orifive,means to periodically actuate said valve, a'plurality of stops to limitthe movement of the valve, and automatic means to bring said stopssuccessively into operative rclationto the valve.

4. The combination of a receptaclefor molten glass having an outletthrough which the glass is discharged, adevicc operable pcriodimovementsof said controlling device.

6. The combination of a container for mol ten glass having an outletthrough which the glass is discharged, a controlling device,

means to operate it periodically to control the flow of glass throughthe outlet, a seriesot' steps, a carrier on which said stopsaremountcd,-and means torotate said carrier step by step and thereby bringthe stops successivcly into the path of said controlling device,

said stops when in operative position projecting different distances tothereby permit movement of the controlling device through correspondingdistances.

7. The combination of acontainer for molten glass having an outlet throuh which the glass is discharged, at controlling device, means to operateit periodically to control the fiow of glass through the outlet, aseries of stops, a carrier on which said stops are mounted, and means torotate said carrier step by step and thereby brlng the stopssuccessively into the path of said controlling device, said stops whenin operative position projecting different distances to thereby per?.mitmovement of te controlling device" through correspond' g distances,the stops being individually adjustable to var the extentof movement ofthe controlling evioe. 8.- T he combination of a container for moltenglass having an outlet orifice in the boti tom thereof, aplungerextending into the glass above said orifice,- means toreciprocate the plunger vertically, a series of stops, and means tobring the stops successively into position to arrest the movement ofsaidplung-' er in one direction, said stops being of different lengths tothereby vary the amplitude of movement. of the plunger. i 9, Thecombination of a container for molten glass having an outlet orifice inthe bottom thereof, a plunger extending into the glass above saidorifice, means to reciprocate the plunger vertically, a horizontallyrotating carrier, a series of stops thereon,.and

means to i'otatethe carrier step by step to bring the stops successivelyinto position to arrest the upward movement of the'plunger.

10. The combination of a container for molten glass having an outletorifice in the bot tom thereof,- .a plunger extending into. the glassabove said orifice, a-piston motor connected to reciprocate the lunger,a. carrier,

an annular series of stops to rotate the carrier step by step andthereby bring the stops successively-into position to arrest the upwardmovement of the plunger.

' Signed at Toledo, in the county of Lucasand State of Ohio, this 20thday of September, 1921. 4

RICHARD LA FRANCE.

iereon, and means

